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While I understand that both parties have their flaws, in these highly partisan times I can only bring myself to criticize the Republicans. Despite this I actually agree with Mr. Bush on something. They do hate us for our freedoms. They hate that we have a free society with free speech. They hate our sacred documents, The Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They hate our polytheistic society that tolerates all religions while granting political power to none. They hate the fact that we are tolerant of other races and lifestyles. They hate our brave and loyal troops, willing to fight and die for a concept like Liberty or Democracy, instead of for a dictator, or for their religion. There is only one thing I disagree with Mr. Bush on. He is referring to so called "radical" Islam, or the Taliban. I am referring to the Republicans in the Senate.

When Senator Jim Webb introduced a bill that would give our soldiers time off equal to the time they are in combat, that is, twelve or fifteen months at home with their loved ones for every tour in harms way, the Republicans not only voted against it but threatened to filibuster the bill to keep it from becoming law. This would only restore the rules to the way they were before this ill-conceived war. The bill actually passed but the Republicans hate our troops so much, they threatened to hold it up if the Democrats didn't pull it. This is democracy in action?
On the same day the senate voted to grant Habeas Corpus rights to the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, in Cuba. You might remember Habeas Corpus from beginning law class or from history class. It means"You have the body" and compels the arresting entity to provide actual proof that there is a detainee and the court then provides the detainee with all legal rights to counsel, to a speedy trial etc. The writ of Habeas Corpus dates back to the Magna Carta in 1215 and is the foundation of the rules of law that western civilisation is built upon. Without this, we would still be in a feudal system under a king who could jail people at will and without cause. I believe the Republicans would like that. Why else would they vote against this bedrock right being granted to the detainees? Again, this bill actually passed, but the Republicans are so scared of this right that they again threatened to filibuster until the bill was pulled.
So, we need to be ever vigilant. They do hate us for our freedoms. They do want to impose a one party system headed by a strong executive. They do want to impose a state sponsored religion. All we have to do to fight this new Republican Taliban is to vote for Democrats, and vote for Democracy

Learn more about this author, Phillip Fears.
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